Closer to home, the Blue Ridge Coon Club — formed in 1957 and later called Blue Ridge Coon Dog Association — wanted to add a parade to its already established fundraiser and call the whole thing Coon Dog Day. The day was a success, and the rest, as they say, is Saluda history.

This year's Coon Dog Day on Saturday will be the town's 50th celebration of what began as a dog show and chicken dinner to raise money for restocking the surrounding woods with raccoons. The event has grown into a massive festival that swells the population from its usual 700 or so to more than 10,000 for the day.

Town Commissioner Leon Morgan remembers with a smile a newspaper headline one year that proclaimed a record crowd of 300. Today the festival, always held the first Saturday after July 4, he said, is one of the biggest days of the year for his business, M.A. Pace General Store, and for many others in town. People attend from all over, he said, noting especially Saluda's long-standing attraction for South Carolinians, many of whom own second homes there today, as they have since the town was chartered in 1881.

As founder and first president of Blue Ridge Coon Club, the late George Johnson, a Saluda native and retired brick mason, was the driving force behind the first Coon Dog Day, and he would later serve among the festival's “royalty.” Each year, a court of eight is named, based on penny votes. Young men and women collect pennies for votes around town, and those with the most votes are named queen, king, princess, prince, junior princess and prince, and baby princess and prince. Entrants range in age from newborn to 18 years old. Money raised goes back into the budget for the next year's festival.

Mary Margaret Blackwell was the festival's first queen in 1963. One long-time participant as master of ceremonies for the festival is William “Hop” Foster who, this year, will serve as grand marshal of the hourlong parade, complete with homemade floats, cars, and plenty of “dogs and their people,” as the town likes to say in promotions for the event.

Besides the parade, which is a come-one-come-all event requiring no pre-registration, there are food and crafts vendors, a 5K race in the morning to kick off the day's events, various bands and genres of music all day long, and a street dance into the night.

And not to be overlooked are the dog events in the afternoon, this year sponsored by Central Carolina Benefit Coon Club. They include a bench show, a treeing contest and a night hunt.

Morgan admits that the festival takes a lot of money to put on every year, but he said, “If it weren't for volunteers, it would cost a lot more.” Members of the fire department, the Polk County Sheriff's Office and many others come together to help things run smoothly. Sponsors and donors also help cover festival expenses.

Parking spots are at a premium during the festival, since cars are not allowed downtown in order to keep the streets clear. Paid parking is available at The Party Place & Event Center on Friendship Church Road off of Ozone Drive. A shuttle bus will be running throughout the day to take festival-goers to and from downtown.

<p>In the summer of 1963, a lot of history was being made in America: the Vietnam War was escalating, Civil Rights protests were being staged, and Beatlemania had young people all in a dither.</p><p>Closer to home, the Blue Ridge Coon Club — formed in 1957 and later called Blue Ridge Coon Dog Association — wanted to add a parade to its already established fundraiser and call the whole thing Coon Dog Day. The day was a success, and the rest, as they say, is Saluda history.</p><p>This year's Coon Dog Day on Saturday will be the town's 50th celebration of what began as a dog show and chicken dinner to raise money for restocking the surrounding woods with raccoons. The event has grown into a massive festival that swells the population from its usual 700 or so to more than 10,000 for the day.</p><p>Town Commissioner Leon Morgan remembers with a smile a newspaper headline one year that proclaimed a record crowd of 300. Today the festival, always held the first Saturday after July 4, he said, is one of the biggest days of the year for his business, M.A. Pace General Store, and for many others in town. People attend from all over, he said, noting especially Saluda's long-standing attraction for South Carolinians, many of whom own second homes there today, as they have since the town was chartered in 1881.</p><p>As founder and first president of Blue Ridge Coon Club, the late George Johnson, a Saluda native and retired brick mason, was the driving force behind the first Coon Dog Day, and he would later serve among the festival's “royalty.” Each year, a court of eight is named, based on penny votes. Young men and women collect pennies for votes around town, and those with the most votes are named queen, king, princess, prince, junior princess and prince, and baby princess and prince. Entrants range in age from newborn to 18 years old. Money raised goes back into the budget for the next year's festival.</p><p>Mary Margaret Blackwell was the festival's first queen in 1963. One long-time participant as master of ceremonies for the festival is William “Hop” Foster who, this year, will serve as grand marshal of the hourlong parade, complete with homemade floats, cars, and plenty of “dogs and their people,” as the town likes to say in promotions for the event.</p><p>Besides the parade, which is a come-one-come-all event requiring no pre-registration, there are food and crafts vendors, a 5K race in the morning to kick off the day's events, various bands and genres of music all day long, and a street dance into the night.</p><p>And not to be overlooked are the dog events in the afternoon, this year sponsored by Central Carolina Benefit Coon Club. They include a bench show, a treeing contest and a night hunt.</p><p>Morgan admits that the festival takes a lot of money to put on every year, but he said, “If it weren't for volunteers, it would cost a lot more.” Members of the fire department, the Polk County Sheriff's Office and many others come together to help things run smoothly. Sponsors and donors also help cover festival expenses.</p><p>Parking spots are at a premium during the festival, since cars are not allowed downtown in order to keep the streets clear. Paid parking is available at The Party Place & Event Center on Friendship Church Road off of Ozone Drive. A shuttle bus will be running throughout the day to take festival-goers to and from downtown.</p><p>For more information, visit www.saluda.com.</p>